New Solo Exhibition by Shani Jamila

New Solo Exhibition by Shani Jamila

Art@UJC proudly presents PORTALS, a solo presentation of photographs and collages by Brooklyn based artist and traveler Shani Jamila. Curated by cultural critic and co-founder of ARTNOIR Larry Ossei-Mensah, this exhibition draws on Jamila’s years of international travel to nearly 50 countries. Utilizing the camera as a “portal,” the artist explores the connective tissue that binds humanity, while highlighting individuals and communities that often go overlooked and ignored. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of events that will be free and open to the public.
The programming began on November 29th, when Shani spoke about storytelling in photography with:

Teju Cole, Writer, Art Historian and Photography Critic, New York Times Magazine

Laura Raicovich, President and Executive Director of the Queens Museum and

It continued on December 15th, when Portals: A Solo Exhibition by Shani Jamila presented One World: Art + Literature.

Photo Credit: Shaniqwa Jarvis for the New York Times (Chris Jackson), Derek Blanks (Shani Jamila)

Shani was in conversation with the legendary publisher and editor Chris Jackson.

On January 19th, we held a lunchtime discussion on Reframing the Image: Art as a Tool for Social Justice. Shani was joined by Brendan Wattenberg, Managing Editor of Aperture Magazine and Elizabeth Mendez Berry, Director of Voice, Creativity and Culture at the Nathan Cummings Foundation.

Finally, the exhibition closed with a reception featuring a performance by Broadway singer and voice of Shani’s short film Altar, Alicia Hall Moran and musician Brett Sroka.